Just some new news about the con. This will be the last time it will be held at the Monroeville Expo Mart since the building has been sold and will be converted into offices. What a shame. I loved being able to stay at the adjoining Radisson and walk through a hallway to get into the show each morning. The new location will be announced within the next couple of weeks from what I was told. The guest list for the July 26th-27th show can be found on the website:

I'd only imagine it could be the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown James, which is fine... It's not as close for me as the Expo Mart though, and this totally dicks up us going to John Harvard's for lunch, but there's a myriad of places to eat at downtown too so whatever.

That's if it winds up there... Honestly though I can't think of another suitable place off the top of my head. You locals have any ideas?

Thanks for the heads up on this too James, and as always good to see you man...

An update on the show... It's right around the corner now, and this indeed will be the last show at the Monroeville Expo-Mart... I'm as curious as the next guy where the new show will be, but I have heard word from the show's coordinator that they do have a new location procured and more will be announced on that in the future.

As always the Pittsburgh Toy Show will have members of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion: Garrison Carrida in attendance. Likewise they'll have many members of teh www.PSWCS.com (Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society) around at the show (myself included). We're always at the show and most of us have a club shirt on so you can always flag one of us down and ask how to sign up or go hit up the link there.

Here's the latest press release for the upcoming show (the last weekend in July) for your reading pleasure:

Quote

Steel City ConJULY 26-27, 2008 at the Monroeville Expomart. GENERAL ADMISSION IS ONLY $7

We are proud to announce that KANE HODDER ("Jason Voorhees" from FRIDAY THE 13TH) will be attending the upcoming Steel City Con in July! This is very exciting news for our Horror fans. For additional details please go to our website.

DEALER TABLES FOR THE JULY SHOW

Time is running out to get your Dealer Tables! With the recent news that the Expomart will no longer be hosting shows of any kind after October we anticipate this upcoming show will be our biggest attended show in history! Dealer tables are going quickly so DON'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE to secure your tables! Tables still only $75 each!

NO MORE SHOWS AT THE EXPOMART

Oxford Development, the company that owns the Monroeville Expomart will be turning the building over to a third party in October of this year. This third party is converting the Expomart into office space and has no interest in having shows of any kind in the future. Thus, this upcoming July Steel City Con will be our last show in the Monroeville location. This information is now being communicated to all of our attendees and dealers. Since most dealers and attendees will want to attend this last show we expect it will be the biggest turnout in our history. So make your plans now to attend and please let all of your friends and family know that this will be our last show at the Monroeville location. We do want everyone to know that we have secured a new home for the Steel City Con and we will communicate that exciting information to everyone in the weeks to come!.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN SPECIAL PROMOTION

Our signing guests Vanessa Branch ("Giselle" from Pirates) and Lauren Maher ("Scarlett" from Pirates) will be offering a special promotion to the first 1500 attendees at the July Steel City Con. They will be giving away a free autograph (your choice of either Giselle or Scarlett) for attendees who sign up for the first month of their new web series called "Breakfast in Bed" for only $10. This new web series involves both Vanessa and Lauren travel to the homes of Pirates co-stars and Star Trek actors and conduct interviews with them "in bed" CERTIFICATES OF AUTHENTICITY

Don't forget to stop off at the official Steel City Con Certificates of Authenticity Booth located in our Celebrity signing area. This is a great way to retain the value of your autographed item. Cost is only $5 and include a FREE acrylic photo holder.

JULY SHOW HOTEL ROOMS

Due to several major conventions in the Monroeville area the weekend of our event most hotels in Monroeville are sold-out.

RADISSON HOTEL: ALL rooms sold out.

HOLIDAY INN - MONROEVILLE - Block expires on July 5th:: Only 50 rooms available at $99 in our room block. Call (412) 372-1022 and ask for reservations. Don't forget to mention that you are attending the STEEL CITY CON and you want the special room rate.

HAMPTON INN - MONROEVILLE: Only 50 rooms available at $119 in our room block. Call (412) 380-4000 and ask for reservations. Don't forget to mention that you are attending the STEEL CITY CON and you want the special room rate. MORE SHOW SPECIALS ADDED

SATURDAY ONLY! FREE DISNEY TREASURES COMBO GIFT SET! to the first 1,000 customers during EARLY BUYER EVENT on Saturday morning! This item is valued at higher than the price of admission so you don't want to miss this one! This Special Event is Sponsored by GAME AGAIN http://www.gameagainstores.com

CELEBRITY / ENTERTAINMENT AND COMIC GUESTS

ALL CELEBRITY GUESTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AUTOGRAPHS BOTH DAYS FROM 10AM-4PM!

Now if you're curious about Steel City Con and you'd like checking it out, I advise checking out the website for it obviously, but some of the short details are that it's being held July 26th and 27th at the Monroeville Expo-Mart. This will be the LAST show at the Expo-Mart however there is a NEW location for the next show (in December) so that's news to come later.

The show's a pretty hefty one and always packed with Star Wars products both vintage and modern. It's a great place to score that piece you're still looking for. I know I always leave having spent way too much cash, haha.

The Monroeville Expo-Mart is very conveniently located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and is just minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. It's a nice idea I think to make a little weekend trip to see Pittsburgh and attend the show I think... A little weekend getaway for you and the family.

Some hotels are open too I guess, in the Monroeville area, despite a lot of large conventions in the city at that time. Monroeville's far enough outside the downtown area that there's some rooms available for the show yet but none at the Raddison attached to the show.

The show is also located outside the Monroeville Mall... The setting for the original Dawn of the Dead, so if you're a horror fan it's fun to go check out the mall as it's pretty unchanged from the film actually.

If you're in Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland/DC, New York or Ontario, etc., the show is a pretty easy drive actually. People always attend from those areas I've noted.

This is a big one since it's the last at the Expo-Mart before they move onto a new location, so I hope to see you there. I'll be there Saturday for certain covering the event.

The Steel City Con is moving to the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena(PISA) starting in October. The show will double in size and now will be 3 days (M-F) instead of two. The show will also now be only twice( tentatively October and April) a year instead of three times a year. The first show at the new location will be October 24-26 2008. The new location is one exit away(exit 56) from Monroeville and will be a much larger venue. The new Pitsburgh mills mall is 3 miles away and there's also nearby local hotels and restaurants. The Arena is visable from the freeway and will allow more exhibitors and events that the Expomart could not. More info will be posted on the site www.steelcitycon.com when it's posted to the public.

I have been to the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena, and it is indeed pretty massive... I can't recall what the parking situation is like there but it'll be free because there's nothing else there. Harmarville is right over the hill though and there's Primanti's there, Target... And the Mills Mall is right up the road.

This is my neck of the woods the show is moving to actually... Well, my gf's actually, but I'm there half of the time anyway so I'm kinda glad it's there for that reason. I'll miss Monroeville but I think the show in this area will be a lot of fun since I practically live there.

It's an area becoming more and more built up over time so it's something that is bound to get more attractions to it.

I like having the show going to 2 times a year but I'll miss the December show. October is sorta cool though I think. That'll be a new experience.

This show should have a lot of new opportunities due to the building's size and capacity. It'd be really great to see Steel City Con become more of an event to not just be a toy show, but replace Comic-Con which seemingly is dead in the water at this point. If SCC were to take over that niche I think it would just get huge... A Toy Show plus comic/film/etc. convention would be massive.

I'm kinda loving it because it's minutes away! Monroeville was pretty close, but this is nice too. Like Jesse said there's some things around the area as well. I'm right up by Oakmont C.C. so it works.

Hey Jesse, don;t be a stranger, if you're out and about give me a ring. I just got a promotion to National Accounts, so I'll be starting the whole East coast/west coast thing again, but not for at least another month. Been eating at Primanti's and up by the mills more often lately.

Later!

Edit: Bob, I edited out your phone # so it's not public. We don't want it getting out to people who shouldn't have it (we're cautious about it). I've got your # in my phone and saved. I'll see you Saturday if nothing else but you should come out Friday night for Midnight madness with us... We've been discussing it some. We're going to Cranberry and I'm going to just kill time basically and "to go" since it'll probably be the last one.